Empire of the Rising Sun
|military=Imperial Units and Structures Summary |capital=Tokyo |language=Japanese |currency=Yen |holiday= |formed= |established=1927 |fragmented=1986 |reorganized= |dissolved= |restored= |conflicts=*War of the Three Powers *Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3: Uprising |status=Defeated and occupied by the Allied forces. Lost it's superpower status}} The Empire of the Rising Sun is the Imperial regime of Japan, led by the Emperor and the Shogunate. Located in East Asia, the Empire is the third superpower with the Allies and the Soviet Union. The Empire of the Rising Sun suddenly emerged to the War of the Three Powers to seek its "divine destiny" to subjugate mankind to serve the Emperor and create a world under their rule - a world minus capitalism and communism. Influenced by nationalism, militarism and imperialism, the Empire has adopted aggressive policies, viewing the Allies and Soviets nothing more than "barbaric oppressors". The Empire of the Rising Sun accidentally came to existence in the current timeline, in which the greatest mind of the 20th century, Albert Einstein, was removed from space-time continuum by "future" Premier Cherdenko. Recently, however, the Empire of the Rising Sun is trying to repair and recover from the catastrophic aftermath of the Battle of Japan in Operation: Forever Sets the Sun - in the time the Uprisings began to show their effects. Official Fact Sheet Mandate A nationalistic, zealous army of warriors willing to lay down their lives for their godlike Emperor and his vision. The Empire of the Rising Sun runs a strictly-disciplined military that takes great pride in its futuristic weaponry and ruthless tactics. Bases of Operations *'War of the Three Powers': Main base of operation in Tokyo, Japan. Other command posts identified at Mt Fuji, the Black Tortoise, Yokohoma Harbor, and Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii. *'Uprising': Tokyo Head of State * War of the Three Powers: Emperor Yoshiro * Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3: Uprising: Then-Emperor Tatsu (former Prince), under supervision of Allied occupation forces Ideology *'WotTP': Militaristic, imperialist government, with some fascist and nationalist ideals. Zealous followers lay down their lives for their Emperor and his vision. The Emperor is the supreme ruler and head of state. Under him served a Shogunate, comprised of representatives from all corners of the Empire. *'Uprising': Reuniting the now-shattered Empire into its past glory, set to achieve by Emperor Tatsu and late Emperor Yoshiro's remaining shogunate. Secretly trying to overthrow allies. Military strength *'WotTP': A secretly constructed, strictly-disciplined, technologically advanced army, consisting of hi-tech weaponry, heavy walkers, robots, amphibious Tanks, nanotechnology, transforming mechanical vehicles, advanced naval warships and psionics. However, they are, by far, the weakest force in Air power - this is compensated by their Naval supremacy. *'Uprising': Same as before, only difference is the addition of the following units: the Steel Ronin, the Giga Fortress and the Archer Maiden. However it is much smaller than before, and under allied supervision. Economic strength *'WotTP': Assumed to be a massive monopoly, with enough resources and manpower to rival both the Allies and the Soviet Union. *'Uprising': Probably smaller, especially compared to the allies. Political strength *'WotTP': The Empire has Japan under its control, along with its conquered territories in Asia and the Pacific. *'Uprising': Same as before, however it is under allied supervision. Affilations *'WotTP': The Imperial Shogunate and conquered territories in Asia. *'Uprising': Emperor Tatsu allied with the Allied Forces against the Rebellion in Japan. History Formation: Bright Sun Rising The Empire of Japan transformed into the Empire of the Rising Sun after 1927 following two significant temporal events: the erasure of Adolf Hitler by Albert Einstein in 1924, and the erasure of Einstein by Anatoly Cherdenko in 1927. By the , the Empire extended to Oahu in the mid-Pacific. Spurred by Emperor Yoshiro's vision of "divine destiny" and global hegemony, the Empire undertook a significant expansion of its armed forces prior to the Third World War. The Allies and Soviets estimated the Empire's resources as greatly inferior to their own. The sophistication and scale of the build up, including notable developments in Wave-Force and psionic technology, went largely unnoticed. War of the Three Powers Imperial strategy took advantage of circumstances generated by the war between the Allies and the Soviet Union. The concentration of Soviet forces in Western Europe was an opportunity not to be missed. The Imperial bid for world domination opened with an offensive on the relatively poorly defended eastern territories of the Soviet Union. Emperor Yoshiro waited until the Allies expended themselves pushing the Soviets out of Western Europe before announcing the Empire's ambitions to the world. The deployment of floating fortresses into the North Sea and western Mediterranean to force European submission coincided with the announcement. The question then becomes: can the upstart Empire fulfull its destiny and triumph over two global superpowers? The wait for the answer was not a long one. The Allies and Soviets organized a truce and a combined European counter-offensive against the Empire. The North Sea floating fortress was destroyed when its power reactors were induced to overload by enemy sabotage action. With the immediate threat to Europe removed, the Allies began planning an attack on where the Empire of the Rising Sun calls home: Japan. With the war developing apace the Supreme Shogunate held a meeting in Tokyo. Allied spies learned of this and an Allied-Soviet strike on Tokyo was organized to eliminate the Imperial leadership. While Soviet forces quietly abandoned the offensive to prepare for a resumption of operations against the Allies, the Allied component was equal to the task. With their top leaders apprehended or assassinated, the Empire's war effort came to a halt. The Empire eventually conceded defeat and accepted Allied occupation. Alternate Imperial Victory If the answer is "yes", it would be no doubt the victory of Japan's empire would spell doom for the world as we know it. The end of the war will see King Onis cutting down flags of their fallen foes across the globe, FutureTech (the Allies' premier defense firm) will be razed to the ground, the Shogun Executioner will level Moscow and the Kremlin in a show of technological brute force and finally, the Imperial Commander, responsible for the victory, will be promoted to Supreme Shogun - the highest rank possible in the Imperial Military. Soon after, he takes leave on Hawaii to join Suki Toyama for a well-deserved vacation. Alternate Soviet Victory If the Soviet Union gains the upper hand, then it's all over for the Empire. The USSR laid waste to the Imperial Palace complex at Mt. Fuji, and felled Emperor Yoshiro as he made his last stand in his Red King Oni among the ruins. Uprising After the Allies besieged Tokyo and defeated the Empire of the Rising Sun in what is now known as the "War of the Three Powers", they installed a puppet government in its place, under the rule of Emperor Tatsu, who has been forced to cooperate with the Allies - the remaining shogunates, Shinzo, Takara and Kenji, were none too happy with the concept of a puppet Empire at all and started to rebel against this new government, gathering their forces to overthrow the Allied control and Tatsu's government of their beloved Land of the Rising Sun. Little do they suspect that Emperor Tatsu had other plans for the Allied and Soviet "barbarians" at Northern Japan. After capturing with Allied assistance all the Imperial commanders, Tatsu betrayed the Allies in an attempt to destroy them, but despite the assistance of a Gigafortress and a stolen Chronosphere he was defeated and captured by the Allies. With Tatsu and the other Imperial commanders captured, the Empire of the Rising Sun no longer exists as superpower, little legacy reminding the world of its power. Unconfirmed information One of the remaining Imperial Commanders still loyal to Yoshiro's legacy, commanded by Emperor Tatsu, was assigned to relieve Kenji Tenzai of his defense post in a bid to fend off Soviet incursions, namely the one taking place at Sakhalin Island. However, the Commander's next assignment was of cultural and moral importance: left to their own devices, the Soviets can pretty much defile the Oki Island tomb of the late Emperor Yoshiro, resulting in a disgraceful blow to Imperial morale for generations to come, so the Commander saw to it to deny such an atrocious action from the Soviet invaders led by Moskvin, effectively sending the Soviet invasion falling to pieces. The fall of Vladivostok was the finishing touch of Emperor Tatsu's show of independence from his Allied slave-drivers. In spite of facing both Allied and Soviet forces in one theater of combat, with Giles poised to quell Tatsu's uprising, the brilliant Imperial commander made sure none of them were a match for the crown jewel of Imperial military robotics: the Giga Fortress. Vladivostok's destruction, in the end, proved a symbolic victory, for the Empire of the Rising Sun has risen from its ruins just as the Phoenix rises from its ashes. Now Tatsu and his Commander shall start together their trick to the Allied Occupational Forces on Japan, in order to restore the power they lost on the War of the Three Powers. Military Doctrine The Imperial military is a unique blend of Japanese tradition and technology. The Empire maintains its well known discipline and loyalty through the philosophy of bushido and reverence for the ancient warriors known as Samurai. The Imperial order of battle includes high tech, highly versatile transforming units, more traditional ones and a living weapon - namely a young female commando with psychic powers, Yuriko Omega. The Empire's manpower is naturally not as much as the one of the Soviets and the Allies. However to compensate for this, they developed advanced technologies and mechas, drones and massive robots to fight for them along with their warriors. Additionally, there are a few stealth units such as the sudden transport which help reduce the Empire's casualties. However traditionally it is considered a dishonourable way to fight. Female warriors are another modern adaptation. The Imperial Commander has access to another unique Imperial technology, the Nanocore, which allows the Empire to extend its control far and wide, building structures in distant location from the Construction Yard. Under Emperor Yoshiro, Imperial military campaigns usually involve attacking an enemy by surprise with overwhelming force and demoralising the enemy into submission. To this end, the Empire concentrated their military operations against symbolic targets as well as using the media to win hearts and minds. This approach did not always work. One of the Emperor's more outspoken (by Imperial standards) critic is Crown Prince Tatsu, who advocated a simpler approach to war - namely killing all who stand in their way. The new Archer Maiden and Steel Ronin proven to be new deadly Imperial weapons in the infantry force. Imperial Japanese Army , the main battle tank of the Empire.]] The Empires ground forces is a true rival to the soviets ground forces and better than the Allies ground forces. Imperial Infantry divisions of Imperial Warriors and tankbusters are the mainline troops of the Empire of the Rising Sun; Imperial Warriors wore traditional armor of the way the samurai use back then, should be need arise they will conduct their banzai sucidal charge, wielding light beam katanas, capable of killing most enemy infantry in one hit and albeit at the cost of their own lives, clear buildings as well. Tankbusters are enemy armor's worst nightmare, using their powerful "Muramasa" plasma cutters and bury abilities to destroy enemy armored columns in a single brilliant ambush, though they are vulnerable to air attacks. Empire also has clans of shinobi to call upon when stealth is necessary, but unlike the Allies' Spies, they are more combat oriented and unable to disguise themselves, instead using swords shuriken and skill to quickly dispatch enemy elite units and sabotage structures. Imperial vehicles, like the Tsunami Tank and the Sudden Transport, are lightly armed and armored, but amphibious. Some vehicles (like Tengus and VX Choppers) are capable of transforming from a vehicle into a robot and back again. Like most Imperial units, the Wave-Force artillery, is not to be underestimated under any circumstances. It is capable of firing single, powerful shots (which take some time to reload), or quicker, less powerful shots. The monstrous King Oni can smash smaller tanks to bits, and even rival Apocalypse Tanks and Assault Destroyers in terms of firepower and strength. The newest weapon, the Shogun Executioner, is one of the most deadly robotic units fielded by the Empire. Imperial Japanese Navy .]] The Imperial Japanese Navy is better than either the Allied navy and the Soviet navy, mainly because of the sophisticated technology used by the Navy. The Imperial Japanese Navy's arsenal Includes the AA Sea Wing, the Shogun Battleship and the Naginata Cruiser. Yari Minisubs are not as tough as the Soviet Akulas, but they are faster and their Kamikaze attacks were proven deadly against capital ships, such as Dreadnoughts. Naginatas rival Akulas and Assault Destroyers with the ability to fire up to five torpedoes, which does severe damage to enemies, but also to allies as well, if executed carelessly. The crown jewel of the Imperial Navy, the Shogun Battleship, is similar to the old Allied Cruisers in terms of bombardment firepower, only non-hostile vessels dare to stand in front of it - its high-speed ramming ability is the main reason why. Imperial Japanese Naval Aviation While Sea-Wings/Sky-Wings and Giga Fortresses are part of the Imperial Japanese Naval Aviation, they are also owned by the Imperial Japanese Navy. Sea-Wings are anti-aircraft submarines, whom can turn into anti-infantry aircraft in a while. The Giga Fortress is made to truly rule the sea and the skies as an all purpose battle fortress. Imperial Japanese Army Air Force Jet.]] The Imperial Japanese Army Air Force is owned by the Imperial Japanese Army. The Air force uses Striker/Chopper VX , the Mecha/Jet Tengu - both which can transform from air to ground units. Rocket Angels are also flown in for support. Despite all this, the skies are not their strong suit and Imperial Aircraft had to be deployed in overwhelming numbers. *The Burst Drones fly around and detect enemy Infiltrators, rigged with Self-Destruction devices. *The Mecha/Jet Tengu turns into a high speed interceptor (Jet mode) which rivals Apollos and MiGs, though they are inferior to both, unless used in numbers. They are mainly used in numbers or used to attack aircraft that do not have weapons to fight back, namely bombers and helicopters. Has unlimited ammo and earned its reputation as an effective unit at Stalingrad. *The Striker/Chopper VX turns into an Assault Chopper which rivals the Soviet Twinblade. Although compared to the Twinblade, it is a good deal weaker but has a faster rate of fire. It also lacks any anti-infantry weapons. *Rocket Angels are flying women warriors, although they are more suited against ground armor targets and aircrafts, not infrantry, something the skywings are very good at. (Although the Imperial Japanese Naval aviation is a different distinct branch, and they are own by the Imperial Japanese Navy.) It is indeed surprising that the Empire of the Rising Sun lacks any kind of Airport and must produce all their aerial units in their other form from Mecha bays (or in the rocket angel's case from the barracks). Both Imperial Japanese Army Air Force(IJAAF) and Imperial Japanese Naval Aviation(IJNA) are quite unique about their aircrafts, but they are still the most weakest in terms of fire power, nor are they as good as their Allied and Soviet counterparts, and they lack any kinds of heavy bomber aircraft, but this all changed when the Empire of the Rising Sun has finally created their Giga Fortresses in Uprising. In the Giga's Sky Mode, it can create destruction through its "God's Breath" Mode, and it is indeed a nightmare to the enemy. Tactics The military of the Empire of the Rising Sun is bound by Bushido, an ancient military doctrine updated for the modern world. Imperial units use their speed to make hit and run attacks deep into enemy territory where close range compensates for their lack of armour. Should their initial attack fail, true to their code they will conduct suicide attacks rather than suffer the dishonour of surrender,(embodied in the notorious banzai ''charge) and just maybe aid other friendly units in accomplishing the objective. It was HRH Crown Prince Tatsu who realised that in battle, the right unit at the right time can ensure victory, out of this came the VX family of units and the sea/air wing. Units which can switch from land to air or sea to air vehicles at a moment's notice. Additionally, while not strictly in keeping with the ''Samurai image, the Empire does maintain stealthier units like the Shinobi and Sudden Transport which are able to carry out covert missions behind enemy lines. It should be noted, however, that Samurai were not the only warriors of Japan in the old days, Ninjas were also a key role, which was likely used as the initiation for their stealth units. Technology Level The Empire of the Rising Sun had an impressive tally of technological achievements, and an impressively high technology military; advanced (but highly traditional and oriental) beyond the level of the Soviet Union and most of the Allied nations. Although, rather than having ballistic shells, bullets, warheads, missiles and other more conventional based weaponry, instead they developed hi-tech weaponry that they armed the Imperial Japanese Forces with. They also had the most advanced forms of battlefield robotics, walkers and transforming units during the War of the Three Powers. In spite of being number one in terms of technology, the Empire lacked the innovations of space technology both the Allies and Soviets had. The Empire of the Rising Sun were also relatively the weakest in airspace technology as well, the main reasons being the rather-weak Jet Tengus and lack of an airport. Although the Imperial Japanese Army Air Force may not be as good as their Allied/Soviet counterparts, their arsenal's versatility and flexibility more than makes up for their weaknesses. However, the Empire did develop far more advanced anti-aircraft technology which was mostly new and largely untested. Although the military did equip their forces with SAMs, the Empire's Defender VX's missile launcher mode proved somewhat less effective than the Rising Sun's war ministers guaranteed. Allied intelligence has gathered the following Imperial technological achievements: *Robotics *VX Technology *Nanotechnology *Plasma weapons *Wave-Force technology *Floating fortresses such as the Black Tortoise *Mechanized Walkers *Flight suit *Psionics *Cloning Technology *Naval technology Important People Emperor Yoshiro The Emperor of the Rising Sun. The longtime ruler of the Empire of the Rising Sun, he is cherished as a living god by his people and the military. Emperor Yoshiro is a traditionalist who strictly follows the code of bushido, the samurai way of the warrior. He fundamentally believes that the Rising Sun's destiny is to rule the entire world, he is Emperor by divine right and that his fate is preordained. He rarely shows emotion and often speaks in a seemingly wise tone. While the Soviets and Allies were fighting each other, Yoshiro was building up a massive high-tech military force bent on world domination, and demands that both the Allies and Soviets submit to Imperial dominance. In case his Imperial Palace is destroyed, Yoshiro will jump in his own personal King Oni for a last resort. In the Imperial Campaign he gave Commander *Name Classified* the honorable title of Supreme Shogun. Suki Toyama An Intelligence Officer of the Imperial military and a childhood friend of Tatsu. She performs the same function as Lt. Eva does for the Allies, and like Eva, develops an attraction to the up and coming Commander. In the end of WWIII in the Imperial perspective, she's last seen in a bikini inviting the Commander, now Supreme Shogun, to join her a vacation in the tropics. Toyoma High Command was named after her family, who have been serving the Emperor for generations. Crown Prince Tatsu Emperor Yoshiro's son and heir. He is a major figure in the Imperial armed forces and directs many of the missions against the Empire's enemies. He wants to lead Japan with a more modern outlook, while maintaining his father's traditional way of thinking. In the Imperial perspective of the War, he is revealed to be responsible for certain Imperial technologies such as the Shogun Executioner and the Howard T. Ackerman android. He takes command after Yoshiro's resignation and orders the commander to swiftly defeat the Soviets and Allies, earning his father's respect. Tatsu is later able to cheer up his father with the prospect that the Empire is creating their own destiny. As the Crown Prince he fielded his own naval fleet and will take command of it whenever the situation arises. For instance he commissioned his navy to destroy the Allied invaders at Tokyo Harbour but was soon sunk by the Allied navy, ensuring Allied naval supremacy during the battle. Tatsu served as the puppet leader during the Allied occupation of Japan and was deeply resentful of this. Under the guise of cooperating with the Allies, he aided the Allied effort to quell the uprisings of the rebel Shogunate leaders before betraying the Allies and attempting to rid the Empire of the foreign barbarians. Commando Yuriko Omega See "Yuriko" Datafile for information. Yuriko Clone See "Yuriko" Datafile again for the second Yuriko. Kenji Tenzai A shogunate leader. Young, arrogant and full of life, this man is a nationalist and loyal servant of the Empire. He has great confidence and trust in the Emperor and his sacred will. He was the one that helped mastermind the Imperial Invasion of Russia, and it's his goal to train the next generation of Commanders to carry out the Emperor's will. Kenji is at his best on the battlefield, and his knowledge of Imperial technology is unmatched. Thus, he is known for using vehicles over infantry in battle. Tenzai Robotics, as reported by Allied forces in their drive for Tokyo, was named after this nationalistic and hyperactive shogunate. Shinzo Nagama A calculating shogunate who is referred to as the "Emperor's Shadow". He assists the Imperial Shogun Commander in a battle against General Krukov and Allied Commander Hanley. His ambitions for the Empire are great and sees the Imperial Commander as his protégé as the Imperial campaign ends. Nagama Dojos, as reported by Allied forces during the Tokyo siege, was named after the Emperor's Shadow and his calculating personality. Naomi Shirada Born on a Shogun Battleship, Naomi is a shogunate with a cold soul and ruthless battle strategies to match it. Bearing strong hatreds for the Soviet "barbarians", she will stop at nothing to bring glory and honor to the Empire. Shirada Docks and the Shogun Battleship's 6 "Shirada" main guns were named after her as a reflection of her naval superiority tactics. Commander *Name Classified* In the Imperial Campaign, he managed to aid the Empire in defeating both the Allies and the Soviets, almost single-handedly turned the tide of the war. After the Empire's victory, he became the Imperial Supreme Shogun. List of Zaibatsu and Military Contractors Here are a list of Companies directly responsible for constructing the Empire's arsenal: *Ten-Shi Zaibatsu *Gomusubi Heavy Industries *Kurikara Robotics *Kanegawa Industries *Tenzai Robotics *Shirada Shipworks Behind the scenes The Empire of the Rising Sun is, obviously, based on Japanese popular culture and historical periods. The Japanese units and buildings are largely inspired by anime, manga, feudal Japan and the Pacific War. The VX units (Mecha Tengu/Jet Tengu, Giga Fortress, Striker VX/Chopper VX, Sea-Wing/Sky-Wing and Defender VX turrets) are inspired by the transforming Valkyrie jet fighter aircraft in the anime series Macross. Shinobi are based on ninjas, Rocket Angels are inspired by ''shōjo'' manga and the military gear worn by Imperial Warriors resemble the medieval samurai knights. Yuriko Omega and the Psionic Decimator superweapon, involving top secret human experiments authorized by the Japanese government to develop weaponized psychic powers, are based on the manga Akira and the anime film of the same name. The King Oni and Shogun Executioner are a self-evident homage to the numerous mecha and giant robots in Japanese science fiction films and television series. The Yari mini-subs are based on the Japanese midget submarines and the Kaiten human-steered torpedoes used by the Imperial Japanese Navy during the Pacific War. The Shogun Battleships resemble the Japanese battleships Yamato and Musashi, the largest and heaviest warships ever constructed. The Final Squadron protocol is influenced by the kamikaze attacks and the Balloon Bombs are based on the fire balloons; these uncommon tactics were used by the Japanese during World War II. The Empire's futuristic technological level alludes to Japanese post-war economic boom and the numerous high-tech products manufactured by the advanced Japanese industry. The Empire's defense contractors and armament manufacturers (Gomusubi Heavy Industries, Kanekawa Industries, Kurikara Robotics, Tenzai Robotics, Shirada Shipworks, Shiro Sanatorium) are influenced by the concept of zaibatsu, a Japanese term referring to business conglomerates with strong political, economical and military connections in the Imperial Japan. Emperor Yoshiro is worshipped by Japanese people as a divine being (arahitogami), mirroring a primeval Japanese mythical tale of the Emperors of Japan being descendants of the sun goddess Amaterasu. The Emperor, who follows the teachings of Japanese code of conduct known as bushidō, is seen practicing calligraphy, holding a katana blade and nursing a bonsai tree; these traditional habits are associated with Japanese people. The Empire's militaristic ideology and nationalist policies, like the belief of the "divine destiny" to rule all mankind, are inspired by the nationalistic slogan Hakkō ichiu, which was interpreted that the Japanese were a "divine" race destined to unite the world and adopt expansionist policies to establish dominion over the continental Asia. In the 1930s, the slogan culminated in the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, a Japanese concept to establish a bloc of Asian nations led by the Empire of Japan, which is alluded in the game by the Empire's attempts to establish a global hegemony. The fanaticism of the Empire's military is based on the concept of Yamato-damashii, which demanded Japanese soldiers to never surrender and fight to the death. The Empire of the Rising Sun also resembles the Brotherhood of Nod in many respects: both factions are obsessed to rule the world; are devoted to their charismatic leader; use egregious propaganda and outlandish military tactics to defeat their enemies; and deploy rocket weaponry and experimental weapon systems such as futuristic lasers. The Empire's three-legged epic unit, the Shogun Executioner, resembles the Brotherhood's quadrupedal Redeemer. The Empire's fanaticism, suicide attacks and willingness to commit inhumane atrocities is comparable to Nod, as well as to the Global Liberation Army terrorist faction in Generals. The Empire's technological level is superior to the Allies and the Soviets with the same way as the Scrin had extremely advanced technology compared to the Global Defense Initiative and the Brotherhood of Nod. The Empire's sudden appearance to the War of the Three Powers reflects how the Scrin arrived to Earth during the Third Tiberium War: the Allies and the Soviets are shocked to found themselves opposed by a belligerent superpower with the same way as GDI and Nod were invaded by a hostile alien species. Both the unexpected emerge of the Empire and the Scrin were caused by human error: the Empire came to existence via time travel (caused by Anatoly Cherdenko who deliberately disrupted space-time continuum by killing Albert Einstein in the past without considering the consequences of his actions) and the Scrin harvesting fleet was awakened by a catalysmic Liquid Tiberium explosion (caused by Redmond Boyle's order of using the ion cannon to decimate Temple Prime in Sarajevo, albeit the incident was masterminded by Kane). Coincidentally, both are major themes of their respective series. In the Red Alert 3 opening, the Imperial invasion force attacks the Soviet Union with the same way as the Soviets invaded the United States in Red Alert 2. The Shogun Battleships replace the Dreadnoughts; the Chopper VX attack copters replace the Kirov war zeppelins; the Tsunami Tanks on the beach replace the Soviet vehicles deployed from the amphibious transports; and the Imperial Warriors replace the Conscripts. Both scenes play Frank Klepacki's iconic Hell March theme: in Red Alert 2, the Soviet invasion is accompanied with Hell March 2; and Hell March 3 is played on the background during the Japanese assault in Red Alert 3. However, the scene shows several inconsistencies concerning the Japanese units compared to in-game footage: the Shogun Battleships are seen firing ordinary artillery shells, but in-game the battleships shower enemy targets with superheated slugs; the Striker VX anti-air missile launcher is erroneously placed under the vehicle; the masks worn by Imperial Warriors and Tankbusters are not seen in-game; and the King Oni terrorizing a Soviet city is seen punching a Kirov, but in-game the unit lacks capability to damage air targets. According to the designers, the Soviet nuclear weapons were removed (via the removal of Einstein) because they felt it would be highly inappropriate to have a video game that featured the use of nuclear arms against the Japanese, given Japan's status as the only nation to ever suffer a nuclear attack in history. Category:Red Alert universe factions Category:Red Alert 3 Factions